


I Never

by potentiality_26



Category: Forever (TV)
Genre: Bisexual Henry, Drinking Games, Friendship, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-01
Updated: 2015-06-01
Packaged: 2018-03-31 19:43:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,094
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3990403
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/potentiality_26/pseuds/potentiality_26
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p><i>Then came Henry’s turn.  He had to think for a moment, then: “Never have I ever streamed a movie.”  He even said ‘streamed’ like it was a word in a foreign language that he had picked up the meaning of in context but still wasn’t quite sure of.</i>  </p><p>Henry agrees to be honest playing "Never Have I Ever."</p>
            </blockquote>





	I Never

**Author's Note:**

> I'd set this sort of midway through the series? It's when I got the idea, though it took me forever (heh) to actually get it together.

“Never have I ever… bought a cell phone,” Henry declared, to collective groans all around.

Jo took her drink a little ruefully. They had all come to the apartment above the antique store on one of the rare evenings that Abe would be gone the whole night, and they all sat on the floor in Henry’s living room and drank. They had been at it for some time before Lucas had proposed that they play Never Have I Ever- otherwise, they probably would have treated the suggestion with the same amount of respect they normally gave Lucas’ ideas: not much. But Jo was already a little tipsy, Hanson a little more than that, and it was he who raised a hand and with great authority said that he would play only if Henry would promise to be absolutely honest.    

This had been what piqued Jo’s interest. She had been operating under the assumption that Henry’s only casual acquaintance with the truth had passed largely beneath- or perhaps above- her partner’s notice. To think that he was curious too had brought her up short, and she had leaned close to Reece to ask what she thought.

They had agreed that Never Have I Ever was stupid game, but if they could work as a team and use it to learn as much as they could about Henry within the rules, it might turn out to be worth it.

So they had agreed to play, apparently forgetting the massive scope of simple, everyday things that Henry simply didn’t do. It seemed to give him the slight edge he needed to not lose too horribly, because as far as big life things- and of course the inevitably sexual things that always seemed to come up in this game- there seemed to be very little Henry hadn’t done. Jo was enjoying the learning experience, but she did hate to lose, so when her turn came after Henry’s she said, “Never have I ever gone to medical school,” primarily out of spite.

Henry drank. Lucas, sullenly, did the same.    

Then came Hanson’s turn. “Never have I ever kissed a guy,” he said, evidently very pleased with his choice.

Jo rolled her eyes, punched her partner in the arm, and drank. Reece did the same, sans the punching, and then they both settled in to watch the boys. Henry did his shot without comment. Lucas did the same, glancing around suspiciously like he was worried that someone other than them would appear by magic to judge him. Jo got that; Hanson seemed like a jerk at times, but in this particular sphere he wasn’t- something to do with a sibling, she thought- but plenty of other people at the precinct weren’t, and Lucas wasn’t exactly popular. If they’d been in a public venue, the reaction would have been totally understandable.

For his turn, Lucas said, “Never have I ever had sex with a guy,” very quickly, like he was more interested in setting the record straight than getting anyone else.

Henry drank again though, along with Jo and Reece.

Reece said, “Never have I ever gone to boarding school.”

Eying her sidelong, Henry took a drink. Jo was pretty sure he was onto her and Reece. That didn’t mean it wasn’t working, but he definitely knew what they were up to.

Then came Henry’s turn. He had to think for a moment, then: “Never have I ever streamed a movie.” He even said ‘streamed’ like it was a word in a foreign language that he had picked up the meaning of in context but still wasn’t quite sure of.

Collective groans again filled the room, and everyone drank.

Jo’s turn. “Never have I ever had a kid.” She was pretty sure she managed to keep any sadness out of her tone; she and her husband had been trying when he died.

Henry frowned. “Biologically?”

“Of course,” Reece said slyly. “Otherwise she’d have to count Hanson.”

Hanson gave her the finger as he took his drink.

For the first time, though, Henry _didn’t_ drink. Jo pondered that carefully. It meant that he’d had a kid who wasn’t his at some point. Jo revised her vision of Abigail, provisionally, to previously divorced with a child in tow. It didn’t strike her as quite right. But it did seem like Henry, to think of child who wasn’t his and who might not have even lived with him very long as his long after they’d parted ways.  

“Never have I ever been out of the country,” Hanson said.

Jo eyed him sidelong and didn’t drink, remembering too many vacations never taken because of work. Reece drank, though, and so did Lucas and of course Henry.

“Never have I ever made an arrest,” Lucas said, sulking a little. Indeed, he was swaying faintly and appeared to be passing into maudlin-drunk territory. It was faintly amusing that this was what he had chosen to focus on.

Hanson’s nose wrinkled as he drank, and Jo didn’t doubt she was scowling too. Reece certainly was. Henry drank too.

Reece sized him up. “Citizen’s arrest, eh?” she asked. Apparently she saw no reason to keep her intentions secret since Henry clearly already knew about them.

Henry shrugged. “It’s a long story.”

“It always is with you,” Jo said.

Henry’s turn again. “Never have I ever played this game before,” he said thoughtfully. He made it sound like he thought it had great anthropological significance. “And fascinating as it’s been,” he added as Jo, Hanson, and Reece all drank, “I believe we’ll have to cut it short.”

He pointed, and Jo noticed that Lucas had fallen asleep were he sat and was threatening to tip over at any moment.

“I’d better call him a cab,” Henry said.

“And I’d better get home,” Hanson put in with a sigh.

“Why are you avoiding it anyway?” Reece asked, taking Hanson in with sharp, ‘don’t dodge the question’ eyes.

“The kids are having a slumber party,” Hanson informed them.

Jo gave him a bracing clap on the shoulder, and he departed, waving. Reece was next to leave, but Jo lingered, waiting around to help Henry pour Lucas into a cab. Henry’s brow was furrowed as he said goodbye to her, as if there was something more he wanted to say, but kept talking himself out of it. As always, she let him be. Henry would come to her when he was ready, and at that time the whole picture would come clear.

Until then, the game had given her much to think about.


End file.
